Shoppes at Arbor Lakes

Store owners at the Shoppes at Arbor Lakes are hoping for a warmer weekend. Unlike traditional malls, where it’s always 70 degrees, customers at these shops occasionally have to venture outside, going door to door. Liz Schiller is the owner of Juniper, a small boutique that features local designers and artists. “We do see a decrease in business when the weather is frigid like today,” Schiller said. When the temperature drops, so do the prices at a lot of Arbor Lakes’ stores. Discounts and incentives are offered to those willing to spend a little time outside.

Not too long ago, Maple Grove was just a village. An expanse of farmland north of the Twin Cities that seemed so far away. Now Maple Grove is one of the fastest-growing suburbs in the metro as homes, businesses and retail continue to pop up. It now seems like a short drive to an abundance of shopping options, a day full of recreation or a morning of hitting the books. But while many things in Maple Grove are new, there is still a great connection to the past and to the green spaces that this city was once covered in. From a restaurant that’s been around since Maple Grove was a village to a boutique located in an old schoolhouse in the middle of a cemetery, you can connect with the present and past in a short trip to this ever-expanding city.